Folding chair.



T. LAM BETH.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED $EPT.28. I9I6. 1,241,742. Patented 001;. 2, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Illlllllllllllllll INVENTOR WITNESSES 720/7140 lei/252172 m at v WW9 Y ATTORNEY T. LAMBETH.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1916. 1,241,742. Patented 001;. 2,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES my v4.14-

THOMAS LAMBETH, OF RACHEL, NORTH CAROLINA.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application filed September 28, 1916. Serial No. 122,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS LAniBn'rH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rachel, in the county of Randolph andbtate of North Carolina, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements 1n Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding chairs, and more particularly to a rocking chair especially constructed so as to fold up into a relatively small space.

One of the main objects of the 1nvent1on 1s to provide a chair of the character stated of simple construction and operation. A further object is to provide a chair so constructed that the various elements of the same may be moved into approximate parallelism with a single mot1on. Further obj ects will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the chair;

Fig. 2 is a back view, the rockers being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a side View of the chair in folded position;

Fig. 4; is a front view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the diagonal braces;

Fig. 6 is a section on the hue 6-6 of Fig 1.

The back frame of the chair is composed of the vertical side bars 1 and 2 which are connected by the cross panels 3, 4, and 5. Each of these side bars is provided, 1n 1ts outer face, with a longitudinally extending dove-tailed groove 6. This groove slidably receives the inner dove-tailed portion or base 7 of a slidable bar 7. Three U-chps 8, 9, and 10, are secured to this bar 7 in spaced relation. Each of these clips is provided with an inwardly projecting bifurcated car 11. The ear 11 of clip 8 receives one end of a side bar 12 which is pivotally secured therein. The other end of this bar is pivotally secured to the front leg 13 adjacent the upper end thereof. The bar 12 carries an arm rest 14 secured thereon. A lower bar 15 is pivotally secured to the leg 13 and to i the lower clip 10. An intermediate seat bar 16 is pivoted to the clip 9 and the leg 13. These two seat bars support the seat 17 secured between the same. This seat is provided, at the center of its back edge w1th a bail 0r handle 18. A rocker 19 is pivotally secured at its forward end to the lower end of leg 13, as at 20, and is pivotally secured as at 22 at an intermediate point to a bottom clip 21 secured on the lower end of rod 7.

A suitable bracing rod 23 is pivotally secured at its upper end to leg 13. This rod is provided at its lower end with a sleeve 24 which slidably receives the upper portion of a brace rod 25 pivotally secured at its lower end to the lower end of the side bar of the back frame and provided on its upper end with a sleeve 26 similar to sleeve 24. which is slidable on brace rod 23. A second pair of similarly connected brace rods 27 and 28 are pivotally secured to the lower end of leg 13 and the inner end of seat 17 These two sections of brace rods act to reinforce the chair structure so as to secure it rigidly in open position and are so connected as to permit the easy folding of the chair. In addition the rods of each pair will have their outward movement positively limited by the sleeves so as to effectually prevent their becoming separated.

To fold the chair it is only necessary to grasp the handle 18 and raise seat 17. This raises the rods 7 and with them the clips 8, 9, 10, and 21. This results in moving the arm rests, seat, and rockers, downward and rearward toward the bars 1 and 2 of the back frame of the chair. This movement results in bringing the arm rests 14, the legs 13, rockers 19, and the bars connecting the same to the slidable rods into approxnnate parallelism with each other and into positions closely adjacent the back frame of the chair, as in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When thus folded the chair forms a very neat and compact bundle which occupies but very little space. I'V hen it is desired to unfold the chair it is only necessary to depress the seat so as to bring the various elements into their operative positions, as in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

There may be changes made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my invention, without departing from the field and scope of the same, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims in this application in which a. preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

What is claimed is 1. In a folding chair, the combination of a back frame having a longitudinally extending groove, a rod slidably mounted in said groove, a plurality of clips secured to said rod, a front leg mounted in spaced relation to the back frame, a plurality of bars said rod.

2. In a folding chair the combination of a back frame having a longitudinally extending groove, a rod slidaloly mounted in said groove, a plurality of clips secured to said rod, a front leg mounted in spaced relation to the back frame, a plurality of bars pivotally secured at their outer ends to the said leg and at their inner ends to said clips, a rocker pivotally secured adjacent its outer end to the loWer end of said leg and at an intermediate point to the lower end of said THOMAS LAMBETH.

Witnesses 4 J. S. LEWIS, JNO. M. NEELY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,-

Washington, D. C. 

